Does anyone know how sharp you can actually get a knife edge? I am asking about steel knives.
Also, does anyone have any idea on which steel will get the sharpest.
The reason I ask is because I have read that steel has grains in it, and the finer the grain, the sharper you can hone it, but that you cannot sharpen a grain. It would seem logical, to me at least, that the finer/smaller the grain, the sharper the blade is capable of getting.
Also, I have read that about 2 or 3 microns width is about as sharp as an edge will get.
Anyone have any input on this?
I, for one, enjoy your enthusiasm for the topic. But, with all due respect, you do seem to tend toward preconceiving the answer you wish to hear based on some limited amount of informal research. As has been said above, none of this is new.
With your keen interest you'd be well served to do more formal study, because frankly, not that many folks on a general message board are going to be that deep into the subject.
I'd suggest you get a copy of this book for starters:
The Science and Engineering of Cutting Pay particular attention to the sections on cutting edge geometry; and here's a clue: Your focus on edge thickness is off base. The grind and the angle of the edge bevel is more linearly related to your notion of "sharpness" than the edge thickness...
